Surah Al-Baqarah 2:20 البقرة

The brightness of the lightning almost blinds them. Whenever it flashes, lighting up the surroundings, they proceed forward, and when there is no light, they remain in darkness, unable to move. If Allah willed, He could take away their hearing and their sight, in His absolute power over all things, and not return it to them due to their turning away from the truth. The rain in the example refers to the Quran. The enveloping darkness refers to the hypocrites' doubts and misconceptions regarding the Quran. The thunderclaps refer to the warnings and the lightning to the truth that sometimes becomes apparent to them. The plugging of their ears from the thunderclaps is likened to their turning away from the truth and not responding to it. The hypocrites are similar to the people in these examples because they receive no benefit from their surroundings. In the example of the fire, all they receive is darkness and a smoldering fire. In the example of the rainstorm, all they receive is terror and panic from the thunder and lightning. Such are the hypocrites who see nothing in Islam except difficulty and harshness.